After gratging a resolution concerning the role that local police can play in the aid to federal agents applying immigration laws two weeks ago, the municipal council of El Cajon will examine a similar but revised resolution on Tuesday.
The new resolution declares that “the intention to comply with the application of the Federal Immigration Act to the legal extent authorized for the sole purpose of withdrawing those who have committed violent criminal offenses, as defined by the Article 1192.7 of the California penal code, of our community. “
The resolution, proposed by the mayor Bill Wells and the member of the Steve Goble council, also declares that El Cajon is not a sanctuary city and requests the help of the Office of the American Attorney General to compensate the city and the police to have Helped or cooperated with the federal immigration authorities, as allows the law, the law.
Friday, during a telephone interview, Goble said that resolution aimed to protect the police who do their work from their suspension of their diploma if the state is perceived as having helped ice while doing its duty, such as prosecution someone who turned a red light.
“We are not allowed to join a border patrol pursuit if they come to our city,” he said. “However, if this person violates a law on the city, such as the speed or staging of a red light, we are allowed to join this prosecution. I don’t want the state to say: “No, you shouldn’t have joined this pursuit”. And I can say that we had legally joined this pursuit because it was not immigration at that time. It was a question of lighting a red light.
The Latinos group in Acción announced on Tuesday a press conference at noon in front of the municipal council chambers at 200 Civic Center Way, El Cajon, in opposition to the resolution. A leaflet announcing the event indicates that California’s law already authorizes the police to transfer violent criminals to American immigration and customs agents, and the expansion of local police cooperation would mainly affect non -violent offenders and could cause racial profiling.
Wells proposed a similar request last month which, according to him, aimed to clarify a perceived conflict in state and federal laws while emphasizing the need for public security in El Cajon. The Trump administration has promised a repression against illegal immigration and mass deportations, while the California 54 Senate bill limits what local police can do to help federal agents.
During a stormy meeting of the Council on January 28, many people present spoke in favor of the resolution while the persons in opposition declared that the proposal was rooted in racism and would leave many residents of immigrants in the fear. The discussion between the members of the council showed a division which led to duel resolutions without any transmission.
The members of the Council Michelle Metschel and Gary Kendrick proposed an alternative resolution which recognized the positive role that the immigrants had played in El Cajon and declared an intention to comply with SB 54 in order to learn violent criminals . The council did not vote on the resolution that night.
The member of the Council Phil Ortiz expressed his support for the original motion of Wells, leaving Goble as a swing vote.
Goble had tried to work with Wells during a revision of the mayor’s request at the meeting last month, but during a 30 -minute discussion on his proposal, the mayor and Ortiz were not Agreement on several points, especially if there should be a reference to SB 54 or local authorities cooperating with the federal authorities.
Goble’s alternative movement failed, with only him and Kendrick in support, and the original movement of Wells also failed, with only the mayor and Ortiz in support.
Goble said that he and Wells had spoken after the meeting and had found common ground.
“The three versions (of resolution) have agreed that we are not going to obstruct or prevent the federal authorities from coming to town and doing their thing,” he said. “And the difference was the use of officers. I said, I just don’t want our officers to be exposed to responsibility. »»
The new resolution removes direct references to SB 54, but Goble said that it clearly indicates that the officers will cooperate with ice within the narrow limits authorized in the law of the State.
Under the SB 54, if the police arrested an immigrant who had been found guilty of having committed an aggravated crime, was previously expelled and has returned illegally to the country, local police can contact the ice if this No one is apprehended, he said.
“This is the only time they can call the ice directly and say:” I have a guy here, an aggravated crime, expelled, returned illegally, come and get him, “said Goble.
Also on Tuesday, the municipal council is expected to organize a workshop to examine the cruise in a classic car in the city center. Local business owners have complained that the event harms their business due to a lack of parking, and there have been discussions on the distance from the city center.
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